Congratulations! You have just reached that most desired step in the job search progress: an offer! Take some time to celebrate and pat yourself on the back - you deserve it! But after all the confetti falls, you may be wondering: What do I do next?

Just like every other stage in the process, successfully evaluating and negotiating a job offer requires preparation, planning, and patience! To get the inside scoop, join Christine Routzahn, Director of the UMBC Career Center for the upcoming virtual Keys to Success: Evaluating Job Offers workshop on Monday, October 10th from 12:00-1:00pm. For more information, click here.

In the meantime, below are some key considerations on how to read the signs when evaluating job offers to consider the whole package:

• Salary: This is often the first thing that we think about related to a job offer, but accepting the offer is more than just about money! That being said, your anticipated salary is a very important part of the process, so you will want to know what you need to make to cover life expenses, what you would like to make to support long-term goals, and what you can expect to make in a certain occupation. When all these things are in alignment, you can be sure the offer is a good fit.
• Location: Where you work is just as important as the type of work you will be doing. Consider what your typical commute to work would look like and how that impacts your lifestyle, i.e. will you have to wake up early or get home late as a result of a long commute?
• Benefits: Benefits include everything ranging from health care coverage to retirement contributions to tuition support for further education. Carefully consider the benefits - both monetary and non-monetary -  when considering a job offer. Monetary benefits, such as yearly bonuses or stock options, as well as non-monetary ones like telework flexibility, job title and advancement potential, and professional development opportunities can make a disappointing salary offer more appealing.
• Company reputation: Securing a position with a desirable institution in your field can provide a jumpstart to your career that may be worth trade-offs in other areas. Additionally, a company with a secure and stable employment outlook can provide priceless piece of mind - and the assurance that you may not have to repeat this process in the near future!
• Co-workers and work environment: Lastly, you will want to consider the future colleagues who you met during the interview process and all that you learned about the company culture. Who we work with is often as influential as what we do - so accepting an offer that will position you within a team or environment that will allow you to bring your whole self to work and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth can be hard to quantify!

Once you've considered these factors - and others that are important to you - you may want to start the negotiation process. Even if you plan to accept the offer, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for time to evaluate the whole package and make sure it fits your expectations. Be sure to communicate the timeframe that you require - i.e. 24 hours or until the end of the week, etc.. -  to determine if this also aligns with the employer's time frame to fill the position.

If you find that you do want to negotiate some aspect of the offer, you may want to:

• Show enthusiasm for the position
• Clearly communicate your strengths and value to the employer
• Lean on the facts and reflections gathered at an earlier stage to present an convincing argument
• Embrace flexibility and clearly define your minimum requirements for acceptance in addition to your ideal goals.
• Communicate openly with the employer during the process and view the negotiation as a partnership. After all, you wouldn't have gotten to this stage if both you and the employer didn't think it would be a good match!

It's time to get advised for the spring semester!   

Choosing to attend Graduate or Professional school is a big decision! It’s a process that takes time and persistence. Often, students who want to pursue post-undergraduate education need to start planning early, as there are many factors that go into a successful application. As you explore programs and get started on the application process, here are some useful tips to keep in mind!

Take time to find the right program fit!

Is there something in your major or academic program that’s drawing you to consider applying to graduate or professional school? Don’t be afraid to start the conversation with advisors or professors in your academic department and think about pathways that might be right for you. UMBC faculty were once where you are right now and will undoubtedly have great insight about the process or connections to programs that might interest you. Use your networks to your advantage!

Once you research programs that interest you, try to visit those schools – check out in-person and virtual admissions/recruitment events put on by the institutions and connect with the campus. You’ll have the opportunity to explore how the campus is laid out and learn about the surrounding area, housing options, and the studio/classroom/lab facilities. Ultimately, you should be asking yourself, “how is the campus and does it seem like the type of environment I would like to spend time in?”

You’ll also have the chance to connect with program directors, faculty and current graduate students. You’ll want to consider whether or not the program has a professor who shares your research areas of interest. And meeting current students is especially important if your program will use a “cohort” model – meaning you will work with the same people throughout the duration of the program.

Finally, take time to research class options – some programs will provide more flexible schedule options including evening, weekend or online classes, while other programs may be more traditional and have classes throughout the day.

Graduate Admissions

The majority of graduate and professional programs will require you to complete an entrance exam, similar to taking the SAT or ACT when applying to UMBC. See below for which exam you might be expected to take: 

·       Dental School: DAT (Dental Admission Test)  

·       Business and Management Schools: GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)  

·       Master’s and Doctoral Programs: GRE (Graduate Record Examination) *Most common graduate admissions exam*  

·       Law School: LSAT (Law School Admission Test)  

·       Medical School: MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) 

·       Pharmacy School: PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test)  

For graduate programs in the Visual or Performing Arts (such as Master of Fine Arts programs), you might need to prepare for an audition or portfolio submission of creative work as well. It’s important to research all the components necessary for any application and make sure you start the application process early!

Letters of Recommendation – ask early and ask people who know you best!

Most applications to graduate or professional school will require you to submit letters of recommendation. Your recommenders should be individuals who know you well, such as a professor who taught you in several courses or a research mentor.

Start by setting up a meeting to ask for a recommendation, which will help emphasize how important the letter is to you and give you the chance to provide context and answer questions your prospective recommender might have.

Allow at least two months prior to the deadline to give your recommenders enough time to complete the recommendation.

Funding Graduate or Professional School

Another important aspect to consider is how exactly you will be funding your graduate or professional school program. The UMBC Career Center does a great job at breaking down the different components associated with funding your graduate education. It’s important to make sure you understand if there are scholarships, grants, financial aid or graduate assistantships available through the program you are exploring.

See below for some other helpful links as you continue to prepare for your next steps!

The Graduate School at UMBC  

Applying to Graduate Schools via UMBC Career Center 

Retrievers Connect – UMBC Alumni Network

Also be sure to check out Grad School 101 – Hosted by the Career Center – on October 13th! 

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Friday, 9/30

Early Career and Interns

The 2022 Women of Color (WOC) STEM DTX conference, hosted by Career Communications Group, Inc., is taking place October 6-8, 2022 with options to participate either in-person or online. The conference features leadership and professional development programs in addition to a career fair where many top national and local companies in the STEM fields are actively recruiting STEM interns and professionals.

You will need to register to participate. Open to ALL students! You can register to participate until the day of the event. However, it will take about 15-30 minutes for registrations to be activated and to gain access to the platform.

·       The job fair is free! To participate in the online job fair only, go to: https://2022wocdtx.vfairs.com/.

·       To participate in the full conference (in addition to the career fair) go to:  https://s4.goeshow.com/ccgroup/womenofcolor/2022/student_registration.cfm and select whether you will participate “in-person” (Detroit, MI) or “online”. 

·       The fee for attending the full online conference is $50.

Please be sure to upload your resume to the V-fairs platform in advance. View participating employers here. 

If you have any questions, please contact Diane Crump-Fogle (crump@umbc.edu) or Chrisi Giannakaris (chrisig@umbc.edu) from the UMBC Career Center.